LA wildfires expose progressive failure, for peace, Hamas must end and other commentary

Urbanist: LA Wildfires Expose Prog FailureThe disaster of the LA fires “reflects the failure of the one-party progressivism currently dominating governmental structures,” warns Joel Kotkin at UnHerd.In progressive eyes, “basic infrastructure is less important than addressing climate change and ‘social justice.’ ” “While the fire may not reverse this mentality, it has demolished the reputations of two major adherents: LA Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov.

Gavin Newsom.” Bass “cut the fire department budget” while crowing “about how the city would defend illegal immigrants.” “Newsom presides over a California” where “precious little has been done to boost water systems critical in a perennially drought-threatened state.” “Simply put, progressive Democrats don’t seek to build capacities that made life better for people.” “Clearly, a new more pragmatic mindset, not necessarily a conservative one, is desperately needed.”Conservative: For Peace, Hamas Must End“Pressuring Israel to freeze its conflict with Hamas in place is more than immoral; it is irrational,” thunders Commentary’s Seth Mandel.Postwar settlements are “judged by whether they make renewed conflict more or less likely.” Making “ceasefires the end goal of negotiations is a recipe for permanent war.” For Israel, temporary ceasefires are unacceptable as “Hamas will not end the war.” Israel is pretty good at permanent peace: It’s been at peace with Syria “since Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981.” No one worries about “the status of Israel’s agreements with Jordan.” Since “Hamas will not allow this war to end” — only favoring “pauses to rearm and resupply,” to bring real peace, “Hamas must be ended.”Foreign desk: Trump’s Euro Problem“Europe is facing a multi-dimensional set of problems,” notes Keith Naughton at The Hill — and though “Trump seems to view Europe as a secondary concern,” “that might not l...